Patents by Inventor Kai Alexander ROTHENHAGEN

Kai Alexander ROTHENHAGEN has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10554160
    Abstract: A system and method of operating a pumped storage power plant using a double fed induction machine with a frequency converter in a rotor circuit is disclosed. A current target value for the rotor current frequency is determined based on a target power to be transmitted between an electrical grid and the double fed induction machine depending on measured actual operating variables. A current inadmissible synchronous deadband is determined depending on variables characterizing a current state of the pumped storage power plant. The synchronous deadband is determined by a permissible minimum required rotor current frequency or speed difference of the rotor speed from the synchronous speed for the stationary operation. The converter is controlled to generate voltages and currents with the current target value of the rotor current frequency if the current target value of the rotor current frequency or speed does not fall in the current inadmissible synchronous deadband.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Kai Alexander Rothenhagen, Piotr Sadowski
  • Patent number: 10224830
    Abstract: A method for controlling a back-to-back three-phase three-level converter having a grid-side AC/DC converter and a machine-side DC/AC converter connected by a split DC link which defines a DC link midpoint. The method includes controlling the grid-side converter to convert AC power from a grid into DC power of the DC link, controlling the machine-side converter to convert DC power from the DC link to AC power to feed a low frequency machine, and concurrently performing common mode voltage injection for the machine-side converter so as to at least partially compensate midpoint voltage ripple caused by the machine-side converter. The method further includes performing common mode voltage injection for the grid-side converter so as to at least partly further compensate the portion of the midpoint voltage ripple which remains uncompensated by controlling the machine-side converter. A control system implementing the control method and a power conversion system utilizing same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Duro Basic, Kai Alexander Rothenhagen, Niels Weitendorf
  • Publication number: 20190058426
    Abstract: A system and method of operating a pumped storage power plant using a double fed induction machine with a frequency converter in a rotor circuit is disclosed. A current target value for the rotor current frequency is determined based on a target power to be transmitted between an electrical grid and the double fed induction machine depending on measured actual operating variables. A current inadmissible synchronous deadband is determined depending on variables characterizing a current state of the pumped storage power plant. The synchronous deadband is determined by a permissible minimum required rotor current frequency or speed difference of the rotor speed from the synchronous speed for the stationary operation. The converter is controlled to generate voltages and currents with the current target value of the rotor current frequency if the current target value of the rotor current frequency or speed does not fall in the current inadmissible synchronous deadband.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: Kai Alexander Rothenhagen, Piotr Sadowski
  • Publication number: 20180309379
    Abstract: A method for controlling a back-to-back three-phase three-level converter having a grid-side AC/DC converter and a machine-side DC/AC converter connected by a split DC link which defines a DC link midpoint. The method includes controlling the grid-side converter to convert AC power from a grid into DC power of the DC link, controlling the machine-side converter to convert DC power from the DC link to AC power to feed a low frequency machine, and concurrently performing common mode voltage injection for the machine-side converter so as to at least partially compensate midpoint voltage ripple caused by the machine-side converter. The method further includes performing common mode voltage injection for the grid-side converter so as to at least partly further compensate the portion of the midpoint voltage ripple which remains uncompensated by controlling the machine-side converter. A control system implementing the control method and a power conversion system utilizing same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Publication date: October 25, 2018
    Inventors: Duro BASIC, Kai Alexander ROTHENHAGEN, Niels WEITENDORF
  • Patent number: 10090776
    Abstract: A method is disclosed to protect a power converter arrangement with a power converter that has a DC side that is connected to a DC intermediate circuit, an AC side, and controllable switches that can be controllably switched at a high frequency to invert the DC voltage of the DC intermediate circuit into an AC voltage. A protective device that can be activated and deactivated is provided to protect the power converter from overload by connecting an external thyristor rectifier bridge with a brake resistor (Rb ext) to the AC side of the power converter. If a predetermined error situation is detected, the external thyristors are triggered to turn on, to activate the protective device. If it is detected that the predetermined error situation has disappeared, the external thyristors are turned off. A power converter arrangement with a device to protect against overload is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Duro Basic, Kai Alexander Rothenhagen
  • Publication number: 20170214335
    Abstract: A method is disclosed to protect a power converter arrangement with a power converter that has a DC side that is connected to a DC intermediate circuit, an AC side, and controllable switches that can be controllably switched at a high frequency to invert the DC voltage of the DC intermediate circuit into an AC voltage. A protective device that can be activated and deactivated is provided to protect the power converter from overload by connecting an external thyristor rectifier bridge with a brake resistor (Rb ext) to the AC side of the power converter. If a predetermined error situation is detected, the external thyristors are triggered to turn on, to activate the protective device. If it is detected that the predetermined error situation has disappeared, the external thyristors are turned off. A power converter arrangement with a device to protect against overload is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Duro BASIC, Kai Alexander ROTHENHAGEN
  • Patent number: 9543812
    Abstract: A multi-phase electric circuit including an electric machine and an inverter, wherein machine encompasses a rotor connected to the inverter via at least two brushes for each phase, wherein each of the brushes of each phase is connected to the inverter via a separate brush line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventor: Kai Alexander Rothenhagen
  • Publication number: 20140327346
    Abstract: A multi-phase electric circuit including an electric machine and an inverter, wherein machine encompasses a rotor connected to the inverter via at least two brushes for each phase, wherein each of the brushes of each phase is connected to the inverter via a separate brush line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited
    Inventor: Kai Alexander ROTHENHAGEN